Made in the shade...

...and a little bit of sun, too. Try these low maintenance perennials that can take a partly sunny to shady spot.

Blue Hostas and burgundy and chartreuse Huechera enjoy the dappled shade lent by a Japanese Maple tree and a River Birch clump. The graceful foliage of the Japanese Forest Grass ‘Aureola’ becomes a bright spot nestled between low-growing Epimedium and Lamium. These plants appreciate water but won’t wilt when there is a lack in the summer months.

Cool off with mint

A classic drink for summer.

MINT JULEP

Put one teaspoon of granulated sugar in a tall glass.

Cover with just enough water to dissolve it and add a sprig of mint.

Fill the glass with cracked ice.

Add Bourbon to within one-half inch of the top.

Stir until the glass is thoroughly frosted.

—The Ultimate Herb Book, by Anthony Atha

Recipes for Herbs

I will continue to post some great recipes that get even better with homegrown herbs.

MEXICAN PIZZA

A fresh and easy dinner or appetizer for carefree summer days.

Yield: 8 slices

1 10-inch uncooked pizza shell (commercial or homemade)

1 tablespoon virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, sliced

3 large garlic cloves, pressed

1 1/4 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese

3-4 ripe tomatoes, sliced

black pepper to taste

3-4 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

1/3 teaspoon cumin seeds

1-6 teaspoons of minced jalapeno peppers (to taste)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Heat skillet, add olive oil. Add onions and 2 cloves of pressed garlic and saute over low-medium heat until soft and translucent—about 10 minutes.

3. Place pizza shell on baking sheet. Grate cheese and place over crust—keeping 1/2 cup for the top.

Spread onions and jalapeno peppers (optional) over cheese. Place sliced tomatoes on top. Sprinkle on freshly ground black pepper. Mix the chopped cilantro with remaining pressed garlic and sprinkle over pizza. Add cumin seeds and top off with remaining cheese.

4. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and crust is light brown.

5. Cut into 8 slices and serve.

—Rosalind Creasy, The Edible Garden

Cool...

The end of April is winding up to be a regular cool and rainy one. We started out with 80 degree temperatures in early April and started to think we had dodged the cold and rain this year. I’m actually happy that we didn’t just skip into summer so quickly. We get to enjoy the tulips a bit longer and the peonies have slowed down after their initial bolt out of the gate. The leaves are full and fresh, buds are just green balls and the ants have arrived already. It’s a gray day this Sunday in the Midwest but, somehow, it’s a comfort to know that there is time to savor what is to come.

Strange but true...

No, it’s not a plant from the movie Avatar, it’s for real. Amorphophallus titanum, a native of Sumatra, is a fascinating plant that can grow up to nine feet tall. Luckily, it only blooms sporadically, as it emits a putrid scent—aptly, named the ‘corpse flower.’ Take a look at the video at www.ubcbotanicalgarden. org/potd/2009/01/amorphophallus_titanum_1.php.

Week by week

I am taking photos of my front garden every week. I started in February after a fresh snow, missed a few weeks and started again. We’ll see how long I will keep up with it.

Photo 1: Feb.9,2010

Photo 2: March 14, 2010

Photo 3: March 21, 2010

Photo 4: March 28, 2010

Photo 5: April 4, 2010

(Photos begin from bottom to top)

Easter Greetings

It’s a beautiful Easter Sunday in the Midwest—supposedly, the weather hasn’t been this nice on this date since 1998. With the 80 temps this past week, I roamed the yard to see what was blooming: purple and white crocus are almost finished, yellow-gold daffodils are at their peak, forsythia on the south side of the house are screaming yellow perfection, bloodroot has emerged and started to open its white petals and purple Greek windflowers are scattered throughout the beds. How long we seem to wait and how quickly it all happens... the new show has just begun. Try to enjoy each day. Happy Spring!

What’s growing in your garden?

Right: The rabbit guards the new growth of Ligularia.

Yellow is a Cheerful Color Trend for 2010

Yellow is bursting out of the gate as the hot color this year for inside the home, as well as in the garden. This cheerful hue can range from creamy-white butter to spicy saffron tones with endless shades in between. It’s the kind of color that, simply, makes you happy. An exuberant patch of lanky, gold sunflowers can put a smile on your face every time. So, you’ll be planting some sunshine this spring when you give these winners a try.

Gaillardia, ‘Mesa Queen’: The blanket flower is recommended for its drought-hardy, daisy-like flower. The 20-inch tall ‘Mesa Queen’ was chosen as a 2010 Flower Award Winner for its cheerful, yellow blooms that continue to bloom all summer. As an extra, bees and butterflies are attracted to it, too.

Echinacea ‘Mango Meadowbright’: A glowing-yellow addition to the coneflower family boldly separates itself with its narrow petals and sassy new color from its pinky-purple cousins. Grow some fireworks in your summer garden!

Hosta, ‘Dawn’s Early Light’: Bright, yellow leaves can be just as exciting as flowers—and foliage lasts longer. Heavily, textured hosta leaves emerge as gold in spring and change to chartreuse in the summer—an excellent way to brighten up a shady area.

Clematis, ‘Guernsey Cream’: Pale yellow petals combine with a dark, yellow center for a more subtle appearance. Blooms cover a compact, 6-8 ft. vining plant in late spring to early summer.

‘Golden Bowl’ tree peony: These huge flowers point to why tree peonies became the favorites of the Greek gods and Japanese emperors. ‘Golden Bowl’ is a royal expression of sunny-yellow with its papery petals and fluffy, gold-red anthers. Its blooms are the ‘event’ of the mid-spring garden.

Appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times GreenHouse issue: February 4, 2010

Eat Your Colors

Plant a colorful vegetable garden and you’ll be healthier for it.

Cauliflower ‘Graffiti’— Large plants showcase bright, purple heads of cauliflower wrapped in dark-purple leaves. They look amazing in the vegetable garden as well as on the plate. The heads keep most of their color when cooked. Try microwaving it to make it even easier to eat healthy.

Sweet Pepper, ‘Thor’

This 12-inch variety matures in 70 days turning from green to chartreuse and then to red—ready for picking. Perfect size for roasting or stuffing.

Available through John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds

www.kitchengardenseeds.com

(860)567-6086

Edible Flowers

Nasturtium ‘Empress of India’—Petals are crimson-scarlet with a sweet, peppery flavor. Plants climb or sprawl from 12” to 18”. They are extremely easy to grow in full or filtered sunlight. Sow directly in garden after the last frost date.

Seeds are available at:

Pasquesi Home and Gardens

(847)615-2700

Johnny Jump Ups (Viola tricolor) —The flowers have violet petals with yellow and white markings and a wintergreen flavor. These dainty flowers look beautiful on cakes or desserts or freeze petals inside ice cubes for summer drinks.

Renee’s Garden

www.reneesgarden.com

(888)880-7228

‘Barely-any-calories‘ Salad Greens

Baby Mesclun Salad, ‘Paris Market Mix’—This seed mix will provide you with an imported mesclun mix of baby lettuces, mild chicory and endive, with a touch of scented chervil and nutty arugula. Perfect with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Container Lettuce

‘Sweetie Baby Romaine’—Lettuce leaves are compact and juicy with a sweet flavor. They are long lasing, slow to bolt and heat tolerant.

Available at:

The Cook’s Garden

www.cooksgarden.com

(800)457-9703

Squash, ‘Gourmet Gold— Cheery-yellow squash offers plenty of Vitamin C. Plants produce top-quality fruits and the leaves stay big, green and attractive in the garden. It is new for 2010.

Beans, Tri-color Mix—Three colors of beans keep coming all summer and through fall. Pack includes green Italian Romano; yellow Gold Bacau (Romania) and purple heirloom Trionfo Violetto (Italy). You’ll have plenty to share with family and friends.

Appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times GreenHouse issue: January 21, 2010

Spring is whispering its arrival this month

“There’s one good thing about snow, it makes your lawn look as nice as your neighbor’s.”

That might be the only comfort at this point in March. Mountains of snow still peak at the end of my driveway and continue in a ridge up to the garage. The temperatures are rising but it is hard to imagine that this amount of snow will ever give way to a green lawn with dandelions anytime soon.

However, if you look closely at the swelling flower buds on the shrubs and trees, spring is working behind the scenes. Maybe it won’t be so long after all.